Setting Up Multiple Monitor Display

RTS is an advanced scanning and charting system. It can filter and monitor thousands of stocks in real time. To achieve this functionality, RTS utilizes Microsoft Windows¡¯ multiple monitor display.

Laptop Computer: Most new laptop computers can support one external monitor. However, certain laptop models are different, so please consult the manual. Also, with additional software and accessories, laptops can support multiple monitor display, but that can be quite expensive. RTS will work on anything that supports Microsoft Windows multiple monitor display.

Desktop Computer: Multiple monitor display is easier to set up on desktops because you can plug in more than one graphics card, which allows you to link multiple monitors.

  • So what is a graphics card? Since it has multiple models, which should we select? We shall discuss it below:
    1. Function

      The graphics card is a computer board that transforms signals from the motherboard to graphics on the monitor, and so each monitor needs one. Each graphics card has its own Graphic Process Unit and memory.

    2. Embedded graphics card

      Graphics cards come in two types. Manufacturers who choose to save money and simplify design embed the graphics card in the motherboard. Naturally this constrains flexibility and makes set-up more complicated, as upgrading or adding graphics cards usually entails disabling the one already embedded. As a result, if you are looking into buying a new desktop, you might want to skirt this type. For computers you already own, you can either consult the manual or open the desktop case to see where the monitor connects. If you do find your computer uses an embedded graphics card, the only way to enable multi-monitor display is to adjust or disable the graphics card. To do so, please read the manual or call technical support (for your computer¡¯s manufacturer) for more information.

    3. Types of plug-in graphics cards

      In general, the interface of the plug-in graphics card to the motherboard is thin and long. However, it is the differences in the interface that separate these three types ¨C PCI, AGP, and PCI Express. PCI is the first generation graphics card, AGP the second, and PCI Express the fastest and most recent. The latest computers usually have one or two PCI Express or AGP graphics card slots. To determine what your computer is using, you may consult the manual. In the end, it makes no significant difference for RTS which of these is used.

    4. Types of graphics card slots

      The slot on the graphics card is used for connecting to monitors and other graphics display devices such as televisions and video cameras. There are two types of slots. The older one is called analog format, and the other is digital format, otherwise known as DVI (Digital Video Interface). Again, it makes no difference for RTS.

    Fig1. In the above picture of graphics card slots; the one on top is analog and the one on bottom is DVI. Fig2. The above is a PCI graphics card with two graphics card slots. the white slot (left) is digital format, the blue (right) is analog format.

    Fig3.The above is an AGP graphics card with two slots. The white (top) is digital format. The blue (bottom) is analog format. Fig3. The above is a PCI Express graphics card with two slots. The white (left) is digital, blue (right) is analog.

    Be aware that the above three graphics cards¡¯ interfaces to the motherboard have different formats. When you purchase graphics cards, please be sure to select the correct format.

    If your graphics card has two monitor slots, it means you can connect it to two monitors. To connect to more monitors, you need to plug in more graphics cards. To do so, you need to get PCI format graphics cards. The reason is most motherboards have 3 to 5 PCI slots as standard extension slots (as mentioned before, those slots only support PCI graphics cards and not PCI Express and AGP). Each PCI graphics card can connect up to two monitors, and it is not necessary to buy one with a memory larger than 64MB. As such, its price should be less than $100 US dollars. There are some graphics cards that can support more than two monitors. They are usually expensive and need extra software. As long as they can support Microsoft multi-monitor display, RTS should work fine. If you are planning to put in more than one graphics cards, please follow the installation guide to mount the cards one by one. Please do not install all graphics cards at the same time; otherwise it may confuse the computer.


  • Monitors

    • There are two kinds of monitors: CRT (Cathode-ray tube) and LCD (Liquid crystal display).

    Fig5. The above is a CRT monitor. Fig6. The above is a LCD monitor.

  • Usage
    1. You can use either type
    2. The picture clarity is determined by monitor size and resolution. We recommend using a 17 inches or larger screen and a 1280x1024 bytes resolution. Of course, this is not a requirement, and you can use other sizes and resolutions to suit your needs.
    3. Because RTS mostly displays static information, it is not necessary to buy expensive brand name monitors.
    4. The CRT monitor only has an analog interface whereas the latest LCD monitor has both analog and digital. There is a converter available to switch between the two interfaces.

  • Setting up Windows multi-monitor display

    • Only after you have set up all hardware parts can you set up multi-monitor display on the computer. The instructions are as follows:

    1. Click on the Start button on the status bar. Open Control Panel and select Display (under Appearance and Themes).
    2. Click on the Settings tab.
    3. All connected monitors will be assigned a number and displayed in a rectangular box in this window. Please see the sample picture below.Fig7.
    4. For any monitor that has not yet been connected, the background color in the display rectangle will be gray. For further clarity, you can click on Identify button that causes all activated monitors to display its assigned number for a couple seconds. Click on any not activated monitor, check the box for "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor," and then click Apply. This will activate the selected monitor.
    5. Use the above method to activate all monitors.
    6. Once you have activated all monitors, you can move your mouse to all windows. If a monitor is in the wrong order, you can adjust its position in the Display Properties window by dragging the monitor rectangular to its proper position and then clicking on Apply to activate the change.

    Fig7


    Fig8.

    The above is an example of a two-monitor display. You can set up your monitors however you wish.

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